The Most Dangerous Game Ever Played
by AprilRyanMyFriend
Summary: Shepard is sent to investigate the disappearance of patrols in the Hades Gamma Cluster, but gets caught up in a madman's search for the perfect prey, somone who is all too familiar, and Shepard must play along if she is to live. FemShep/Ash. Ending of final chapter has been redone!
1. Chapter 1

Authors Note: I remembered reading the story titled The Most Dangerous Game Every Played, and this idea popped up.

R&R please?

Disclaimer: Bioware owns Mass Effect and all characters thereof… darn it…

"_Shepard, we need you to investigate the loss of multiple Alliance patrols in the Dis system of the Hades Gamma Cluster; we've lost four patrols in that area," Admiral Hackett said in his monotonous voice._

"_Any idea what took down the patrols?" Shepard asked._

"_No," Hackett replied, "each of the patrols dropped out of contact without a trace near the planet of Nearrum. Shepard, we need you to find out what happened and if possible neutralize the source."_

"_What about survivors Admiral?"_

"_I wouldn't get your hopes up Shepard," Hackett paused, "but if there are any survivors we'll send in the _Everest_ to pick them up._

"_We'll get it done Admiral."_

"_Good luck Shepard, Hackett out."_

Shepard's mind returned to the present as her gaze rested on the holographic image of Nearrum as it slowly turned in the Galaxy Map. She leaned forward with her forearms on the railing in front of her, her mind going over the little information that they had on Nearrum.

"_Nearrum is a terrestrial world with a thin atmosphere of methane and argon. Its frozen surface is mainly composed of basaltic rock. Its most prominent feature is the Ellos Rift Valley, a long volcanic divergence zone that stretches across half of the northern hemisphere."_

Shepard shook her head at the little bit of information, _practically useless,_ she thought. With a few button presses the map zoomed in on the rocky surface, the Ellos Rift looking like an ugly scar on the surface, stretching to a width of eight miles at its biggest.

Shepard looked to her right as Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams settled in the same fashion as Shepard on the railing, Ash's brown eyes meeting Shepard's blue, "What do you think Skipper?"

Shepard sighed and shook her head, "I don't like it; this feels all wrong. The Alliance loses four patrols within a short time and they call us to investigate. Everyone knows that when the Alliance needs help they call their council Spectre to do the job."

"A trap then, they use the lost patrols to get your attention."

Shepard nodded her head, "We know it's a trap, now we need to know who and why."

Ashley smirked slightly, "Well Commander lets see, there's Cerberus, whose bases we destroyed, and Exo Geni, I imagine their not too happy about losing Feros and the Thorian, not too mention all the crime circles and bases you have brought down."

Shepard smiled, the scar running along the right side of her face pulling tight, "Good point Ash, and I haven't exactly been making friends have I?"

Ash shoved Shepard playfully, "Oh I wouldn't say that," She leaned in close so only Shepard would hear with a mischievous grin on her face, "you've been very… friendly with me."

Shepard started to retort when Joker's voice crackled over the intercom, "Commander we are ten minutes out from Nearrum, and I'm picking up an Alliance distress beacon coming from the edge of that giant rift."

"Bring us into orbit; get a scan of the surface, I want to know everything that's on that planet."

"Aye aye, Ma'am."

Shepard turned to Ash, "You and Liara gear up, and meet me in the cargo bay."

"Yes Ma'am," Ash turned on her heel and headed towards the stairs.

Shepard took one last look at the planet, a familiar feeling of unease coursing through her; she had felt it twice before, before the attack on Mindoir, and the slaughter on Akuze. Shepard shuddered briefly at the memories and headed to her locker.

"The signal is coming from the middle of an encampment near the south edge of the Ellos Rift. I'm picking up multiple life signs inside the camp, but there's no way to tell if they're friend of foe. To the north about two clicks is a cluster of buildings, from the scans they appear to be abandoned, no life signs or heat signatures are present within those ruins."

"Alright, good work Joker; drop the Mako two clicks south of the camp, we will approach the camp using the high ground to avoid detection," Shepard ordered as she took the driver's seat of the Mako.

"Yes Ma'am; time till drop, two minutes."

Ashley climbed in, brushing her hand on Shepard's arm before taking the gunner's chair, followed by Liara, who took the technician's chair towards the back. They quickly went through the pre-launch check list, talking little as they prepared to be dropped.

"Opening bay door," wind whipped and howled through the cargo bay, "dropping in three… two… one." The Make shot forward out of the Normandy, forcing its occupants against their seats; then a brief feeling of weightlessness as they plummeted towards the ground. The feeling disappeared as the jets kicked in and slowed the Mako so that Shepard could manage to stay in control as they landed.

"Systems check," Shepard's voice rang out seeming very loud in the enclosed space of the Mako, "Weapons?"

"Check," Ashley answered.

"Shields?"

"Check," came Liara's voice from the back.

"Radar? Targeting?"

"Check and check, I think we're good Commander," Ash said smiling at Shepard.

"Let's get going," Shepard said smiling back. The Mako lurched into motion, eating up the distance between them and the distress signal. They remained silent as they rode, the sounds of the Mako's engine making it difficult to hear anyone, until they got near to their target. Shepard stopped the Mako behind a pile of rocks and they all sealed their helmets before stepping out onto the surface of Nearrum.

Shepard activated her suits com, "Everyone read me?" At the nods of her companions she pulled her pistol from her side, Ashley following suit with her assault rifle and Liara with her pistol, and headed towards the edge of the Ellos Rift. As they neared the edge they dropped and crawled to the lip, staying low to prevent being seen. Ashley pulled her sniper rifle out at Shepard's signal and sighted at the camp below.

Their were three building spaced in a circle around the beacon that was giving the distress call; Ash saw six sentries spaced around the buildings with two groups of three patrolling as well. All had Alliance markings on their armor and she could see the commanding officer, a 1st lieutenant, talking to a group of five soldiers next to the beacon.

"I've got eighteen outside the buildings; one of them is the commanding officer by the beacon, they all are marked Alliance Navy." Ash reported into her com.

"Shall we go talk to them Shepard?" Liara inquired

"Something's not right, if this is one of the patrols where is their ship? There were no craters or wreckage to show that they crashed, nothing at all; and if this patrol survived where are the others?" Ash commented as she continued to watch the camp.

Shepard contemplated the camp below before speaking, "Williams, stay up here and keep me posted on any changes through our private channel, if any thing goes wrong you will provide support from here; Liara will accompany me into the camp. Everyone got it?"

"Affirmative, Shepard," came Liara's lyrical voice. Ash just nodded her head stiffly.

Liara crawled back out of sight; Shepard started to follow, but tarried for a moment to place her hand on Ash's shoulder. Ash turned her head quizzically in Shepard's direction, "Yes Commander?"

"Ash…," Shepard paused before going on, "if this is a trap and those Alliance soldiers are involved…," she trailed off unsure of how to continue, looking into Ash's eyes through her visor.

Ash gripped Shepard's hand in hers, "I understand Commander, I will not hesitate," she placed her hand on the side of Shepard's helmet before whispering, "I've got your back Oh Captain, My Captain." Shepard smiled, nodded, and crawled back to join Liara.

"This is Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy, can you read me? I repeat this is Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy," she sighed dejectedly when no response came yet again from the camp below.

"Would it not be quicker if we approached the camp and gained their attention?"

Shepard glanced at Liara and shook her head, "They might mistake us as hostiles and gun us down before we could explain who we were."

She heard Liara sigh as Shepard attempted for the tenth time to make radio contact with the Alliance Marines in the base, "This is Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy, can anyone read me?" Shepard paused, about to try again, when Ash came over their com, "The whole camp is stirred up, I think they received your message."

No sooner had they finished when a man's voice crackled over the radio, "This is 1st lieutenant Stevenson, are you _the_ Commander Shepard; The Savior of the Galaxy Shepard?" Stevenson's voice quaked as he spoke her name, almost as though in fear.

Shepard looked questioningly at Liara, she nodded her head; she had heard it as well. "Yes… I am that Commander Shepard," she answered slowly.

There was a loud sigh of relief from Stevenson, "Thank God you've finally come! We've been stranded here for a week," he paused to collect himself and take a deep breath, "Forgive me Commander, come down to the camp and I will give you a full sitrep."

Shepard hesitated; her instincts were telling her to leave, but she couldn't leave a group of Marines to die. "We'll be right down Stevenson."

Shepard switched to her team's private channel, "Ash, stay put and notify me if anything weird or out of the ordinary occurs, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

"Copy that, holding position," Ashley confirmed.

Shepard gestured to Liara and they began the downhill trek towards the base.

Stevenson offered Shepard a jerky salute, which Shepard returned smoothly before speaking, "What happened on the patrol lieutenant?"

"Uhh… um… right… uh…," Stevenson stuttered out, at Shepard's raised eyebrow Stevenson shook himself and started again, "We were headed back to the Mass Relay when we picked up this beacon's signal," he gestured at the distress beacon, his movements jerky and nervous, eyes constantly shifting, "they dropped our team and we came to investigate, all we found were these empty buildings and the distress call."

"What about your ship? What happened to it?" Liara cut in.

Stevenson jerked at Liara's voice, fear filling his eyes, "You are Dr. T'Soni? Where is Chief Williams? She's always with the Commander!"

"Is there something you're not telling me Lieutenant?" Shepard asked, the bad feeling in her gut increasing; she stiffened imperceptibly, becoming suddenly very aware of all the soldiers that were crowded around her and Liara.

While the Lieutenant attempted to stutter out an answer Ash's voice cut in, her tone urgent, "Commander you need to get out of there! I have three rovers headed straight for your position not marked Alliance; they are heavily armed. ETA four minutes, get out of there now Shepard!"

Shepard pulled her pistol and aimed it at Stevenson's heart while Liara threw back the Marines behind them with her biotics, a pistol in her hand as well. "What the hell is going on here?!" Shepard demanded of the lieutenant.

"I'm sorry Commander we had no choice," Stevenson muttered quietly, reaching for his own pistol at his side. As his hand closed around the grip of the pistol, Shepard fired. Shepard barked out orders as Stevenson fell dead to the hard rock of Nearrum, "Liara run! Ash covering fire now!"

Bullets flew across their path, impacting their shields, as they sprinted for the Mako. Shepard fired at the Marines that got in their way, the bullets ripped through the Marine's shields, killing them. They reached the edge of the rift and started to scramble up the sides; Shepard could hear the rapport of Ash's sniper rifle and saw Marines fall to the ground. Liara cleared the ledge first, Shepard reached for the edge when a hand gripped her ankle and jerked with enough force to dislodge her grip, and she tumbled down the slope and landed at the bottom… hard. She didn't rise.

Ash pulled Liara over the edge and reached over to grab the Commander, when she disappeared from view. Ash watched as the Commander tumbled down the slope, flinching as she hit the ground. _Get up Skipper… get up…_she mouthed silently. When her Skipper didn't move she yelled at Liara to run to the Mako and radio the Normandy, while she pulled her assault rifle over her shoulder and scrambled towards Shepard, firing her gun at the remaining Marines with little effect.

She charged into the Marines, knocking some to the ground while others fired their weapons. Her shields beeped in warning, but she kept going. She knocked one Marine to the ground with the butt of her rifle; as she pulled her rifle up the hit him again, stars sparked across her vision as she fell to the ground. She looked up to see a Marine holding a shotgun; _I failed Skipper_ she thought as she watched the Marine bring the shotgun down, butt first, and her vision went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This chapter took a lot longer than I would have liked; and I'm still not completely happy with it, but I'll get over it.

R&R Please!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect.

Shepard slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing, _wow,_ she thought; _did I get drunk last night?_ She looked around quickly with her eyes, trying to avoid aggravating her headache, at her surroundings; she lay in a cold stone cell, _if this is C-Sec, they seriously need to remodel_ she thought.

She slowly leaned up, her body aching and protesting, she put her head in her hands to fight the wash of dizziness when she noticed she was in her usual fatigues that she wore on the ship; she wore a plain, white tank top and black shorts that she always had under her armour. _My armour,_ something tickled the back of her mind, but the headache kept it at bay; _where is my armour?_

Shepard looked to her right and saw Ash lying on the floor, dressed in much the same fashion as Shepard except for her tank top and shorts being navy blue. Again that tickle at the back of her mind; Shepard concentrated on it, trying to bring it into focus. Screams filled her mind… and gunfire; _what happened?_ Shepard asked herself. Her eyes focused back on Ash as she turned her head, still asleep, towards Shepard and she could make out a dark bruise on the right side of her face; the memories came rushing back.

Shepard heard Ash yelling at Liara to run as she charged the Marines after Shepard fell. She remembered hearing the assault rifle that Shepard had bought Ash firing into the group of Marines… then… silence. Shepard crawled quickly over to Ash and checked her for any other wounds; when she finished she took a closer look at her surroundings.

Their cell was of solid gray rock with a sliding, electric door in the upper right corner. There was a straw mattress in the back, _(Who uses straw anymore?),_ along with a thin blanket. Gathering Ash in her arms, her left shoulder screaming in pain, Shepard carried her to the mattress and pulled the blanket over both of them to keep warm. She quickly examined her shoulder and noted the purple bruise that spread across it, _probably dislocated when I fell;_ she thought as she settled on the mattress and pulled Ash closer.

Shepard laid Ash's head on her right shoulder, a flash of white hot anger filled her as she brushed the hair the hair from Ash's face and made out the fuzzy shape of the butt of a shotgun in the bruise. _There were 18 Marines there,_ Shepard thought,_ there should have been 25 in a patrol. Where were the other 7? Where are the other patrols?_

"Skipper…" Shepard was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of Ashley's voice, "Shepard did we get drunk last night?" Shepard couldn't help a small snort at the thought that her and Ash had the exact same though upon awakening, "I'm afraid not," Shepard said, "What do you remember?"

"I remember the message from Hackett… and… oh God, the ambush!" Ash turned towards Shepard, "I though you were dead! You hit the bottom and didn't move and I ran to try to help you and go knocked out by a Marine… Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" Ash's voice rose as she spoke until she was practically yelling at the end.

Ash was about to continue her worried tirade when the door beeped and four guards walked into the cell, two held weapons trained on Ash and Shepard, "Shepard, come with us." Shepard studied the guards, the one that spoke was a Turian, the two with guns were Batarians, Shepard suppressed a shudder at the thought, and the last one was a human, anger flared in Shepard as her eyes fell on the human.

"Get. Up. Shepard," the Turian demanded, biting off each word. Shepard slowly stood up, careful of her hurt shoulder. When Ash began to rise as well, Shepard signaled her with her hands, _Wait and watch._ Shepard waited until Ashley grudgingly nodded then walked slowly towards the guards. The Turian ordered the human to stay and stand guard then turned for the door, one of the Batarians turning as well, knowing the Spectre would follow.

_This is going to hurt,_ Shepard thought as she passed the human. Shepard kicked the first Batarian in the back of the knee, sending him to the floor, she blocked a punch from the second Batarian, white hot pain searing into her shoulder. Shepard kicked him to his knees and slammed her knee into his face, knocking him unconscious.

Shepard turned to the human guard, who was reaching for his pistol holstered at his side. She knocked the gun out of his hand and slammed him into the wall, her hand at his throat. Shepard leaned in close and whispered into his ear, the human's face filled with fear and he nodded fiercely as Shepard backed away.

Shepard slowly raised her arms up, resisting the urge to grimace at the pain in her shoulder, when she saw the Turian with a gun pointed at her chest. Shepard smiled at the Turian, "you might want to pick up your friend," she said nonchalantly as she nudged the unconscious Batarian with her foot.

The Turian kept his gun raised, but glanced at his companions; one Batarian was climbing to his feet, the other not moving, and the human stood at rigid attention. Looking at the state of his guard the Turian couldn't help but feel admiration for the Commander. "Ibos, get Doma to the infirmary," the Turian said to the Batarian without taking his eyes off of Commander Shepard.

Ibos grabbed his companion, Doma, and dragged him out of the room, grumbling the entire time. The Turian lowered his weapon slightly as he spoke, "Our boss wishes to speak with you, will you come peacefully Shepard? Or will I have to have your companion convince you?" There was a tone of threat in the Turian's voice in the last sentence as he glanced at Ash, who stood when she heard the threat.

Shepard took a menacing step toward him, her voice dripping with deadly threat, "Don't you dare touch her!" The Turian's mandibles flared in amusement before he abruptly turned towards the door, speaking over his shoulder, "Come, my boss is waiting."

Shepard gave a final glare at the human guard and a halfhearted smile to Ash before she followed the Turian out of the cell, the door hissing shut behind her. She found herself at the end of a hallway, the walls made of the same grey stone as the cell. She followed the Turian up the hall, passing other branching hallways on either side. After passing six branches the Turian stopped at a wooden door. _Straw beds and wooden doors, like a captive situation out of those old books on Earth,_ Shepard thought as the Turian knocked, waited, and then entered at a command from behind the door.

Behind the door was a lushly decorated office, it had pure white carpet and the wall were paneled with darkly finished wood. What caught Shepard's eyes were the heads on the walls; Turians, Batarians, Asari, Salarian, and Human heads all mounted on plaques with a name and date engraved below them.

Shepard finally focused on the Batarian that stood behind a massive wood desk in the center of the office. As the Turian walked around to the person, Shepard studied the familiar face of the Batarian. The Batarian had a scar running across his face, and as Shepard focused on the scar, recognition filled her.

_A sixteen year old Jane Shepard crouched in a tree, gripping the only weapon she had, a knife, tight as she watched the Batarians below her. Her mother and father kneeled before two Batarians, ignoring them when they asked about her whereabouts. One of them got impatient and leveled his pistol at Shepard's father and pulled the trigger; her father's head disappeared in a flash of red and his body slumped forward._

_Shepard struggled to keep quiet as the cries of her mother filled the air; followed by another shotgun blast, then the sound of her mother's body hitting the ground. Shepard watched as the Batarian that had killed her parents collapsed his helmet and surveyed the bodies with disgust, kicking her mother's body._

_White hot anger filled Shepard as she flung herself atop the Batarian, slashing wildly with the knife in her hand. She felt the knife meet resistance and heard the cry of the Batarian beneath her as a fist stuck her and she tumbled to the ground. The  
Batarian cursed as blood ran from a diagonal but across his face; his eyes focused on Shepard and he pulled a knife from his belt, "I'm going to make you pay for this bitch," he hissed advancing towards her._

_She tried to scramble away, but the Batarian grabbed her foot and drug her to him; she tried to slash him again, but he knocked the blade away and backhanded her across the face. She watched in a pain filled daze as he put the knife to the right side of her face and cut down the side of her face._

_Suddenly gunfire filled the air and the Batarian let go and ran into the forest. Shepard slumped to the ground; she saw human soldiers fill the area, one of them was taking to her, but she couldn't make out the words as the world went black._

Shepard glared at this shadow from her past, "you bastard!" She screamed as she threw herself over the desk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry for the way overdue update. My mom died awhile back, and to say that this story was low on my priority list is a major understatement. Big thanks to all the review and Favs. Yes, the title is based off of the short story, which I recommend reading if you haven't.**

**R&R and please forgive any grammatical or spelling mistakes, I don't have a Beta Reader.**

**I do not own Mass Effect.**

Shepard's foot connected with the chest of the Batarian, sending him into the wall and to the ground. She pulled her leg back for another kick when an armored fist slammed into her shoulder, sending her to her knees, followed by another to the head. Shepard struggled to get to her feet but three savage kicks to her abdomen by the Turian left her gasping for breath on the floor, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

The Batarian chuckled as he picked himself up off the ground, he gestured at the Turian who pulled a hard backed chair into the center of the room and pulled Shepard to her feet and shoved her into the chair and tied her arms together behind her.

The Batarian leaned on the edge of the desk in front of Shepard, "You have changed since our little encounter on Mindoir. I had almost forgotten your face, but imagine my surprise when I see the Hero of the Citadel on the vids, and I see the scar that I put there," Shepard jerked her head away from his hand as it traced the scar on her face. He could see the anger and hate burning in her eyes, he smiled inwardly.

He stood and walked to the other side of the desk, studying the plaques on the wall, "You see Shepard, after Mindoir raiding planets full of civilians no longer appealed to me. I wanted a challenge that only warriors can give," he turned back to the captive Commander, "So I started… collecting possible opponents."

He gestured to the wall, "None of these offered much of a challenge for me," he turned and faced Shepard, "but that is about to change. I now have the famous Lieutenant Commander Shepard and her most trusted companion Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. Now the game can truly begin."

"Where are the other Marines," Shepard demanded.

"It's amazing how loyal you humans can be to someone you've never met, the first three patrols wouldn't cooperate in the slightest, so I killed them. The last patrol was more cooperative after watching seven of their comrades die; they agreed to help capture you if I let them go when it was done. Of course I had no intention of following through with it; but they didn't know that… I guess they do now."

"What game are you talking about?"

The Batarian bared its teeth, "You will be placed at the other side of this underground facility, and each of you will be given a knife. Guards will be throughout, and your task is to make it here. **If** you make it this far you will find all of your gear in here. You must then find your way to the ruins above, and that's where I will be waiting. It is a shame that most of my opponents don't make it to the surface, and the ones that do die within minutes."

He leaned forward, his face inches from Shepard's, "I hope that the Savior of the Galaxy won't be such a disappointment."

Shepard laughed darkly, "Do you have to put your opponents at a disadvantage, or are you afraid they will win your little game?"

He sneered, "I have killed hundreds of your species, and not one had a chance of winning."

Shepard leaned back in her chair, "It always amazed me how you Batarians would attack farming planets, but after fighting some of them I understand why." She leaned forward conspiratorially, as though sharing a secret, "You are all cowards, needing to fight peaceful and defenseless farmers to make yourselves feel strong."

The Batarian backhanded her across the face, and when she just spit the blood from her mouth and laughed he punched her, the force of the blow knocking her and the chair sideways to the floor. Shepard continued to smirk, knowing she hit a nerve. He started to kick her, but instead crouched down next to her.

His four eyes fixed on Shepard, "I'm going to kill you, and I'm going to make your friend watch as I put the bullet in your head; but not before I torture her and you have to listen to her screams."

Her smirk faded, her eyes burned with anger and determination, "I promise you that we are both going to win this game and I'm going to make you beg for me to kill you."

He stood and spoke to the Turian, "Take her back to her cell, and give them something to eat. I want them ready for tomorrow." He looked back down at the Commander before snapping a kick to her head, knocking her unconscious.

As the Turian dragged the limp Commander out the door the Batarian turned to his wall of plaques and spoke again, "Have the guards use non-lethal ammo for tomorrow's game. If they take down the Commander and Chief Williams I want them both **alive.**

The Turian nodded and dragged her back to her cell.

Shepard groaned as she came to and pushed herself into a sitting position, her head pounding. Ash was immediately by her side, pressing a cup of cool water into her hands. After she drained the cup Ashley spoke, "Aerin, what the hell happened in there?"

The Commander just stared at the Chief for a moment, completely focused on the fact that Ash had called her by her first name. Aerin shook her head and related all that had happened in the office, leaving out that the Batarian was the one that killed her family and gave her her scar at Mindoir. Ashley shook her head when she finished, "He went to all this trouble to use us for a hunting trip? Surely there were easier targets than us. There must be another reason he chose us for his little game."

When Shepard remained silent and stared at the floor, Ash scooted closer on her knees and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Skipper?"

She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "He chose me because he was the one that killed my family and cut my face at Mindoir," her voice was quiet as she locked eyes with Ash, "He chose you because of your relationship with me." The Gunnery Chief sat next to Shepard and laid her head on her shoulder, "We sure know how to get ourselves into bad situations, don't we?" Shepard snorted softly, "Yeah, we seem to have a special talent for getting into trouble."

Ash yawned and pulled Shepard down next to her as she laid back. Shepard lay on her back with an arm wrapped around Ash as she rested her head on Shepard's shoulder and stretched an arm across her waist.

They layed in silence until Ash spoke, "We are gonna kick his ass Skipper."

The words brought a smile to Shepard's face, "Hoorah Marine."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm extremely sorry for my lack of updates. I have no excuses for not updating, and I hope to be updating more regularly from now on. Forgive any typos or grammatical errors, I do not have a Beta.**

**Thanks for all of the Favs and Alerts.**

**R&R Please?**

Someone was shaking her, "Shepard wake up!" She opened her eyes and blearily looked up at Ash. She blinked a couple of times before her face came into focus. Sitting up, she rubbed at her eyes just as the Batarian's voice came through a small speaker overhead.

"Good to see you're finally awake; I was getting tired of waiting. In front of the door of this room are two black Talon knives, as promised. Fully-armed guards are spread throughout the complex with orders to take you and Chief Williams down. I look forward to staining the ground with your blood."

The Commander shook her head with a chuckle, "Makes you wish you had taken that vacation time, huh Chief?"

Ash scoffed and pulled Shepard to her feet, stretching her sore muscles, "And miss all of this fun? Never. He seems pretty confident of himself though. I don't think he has any idea who he's messing with, does he Shepard?"

Shepard didn't answer right away. She had picked up one of the Talons and was examining the gleaming black blade. _Same kind that he used on Mindoir,_ she thought to herself. Hardened determination flashed in her eyes as she handed the other knife to Ash, "Let's show him how big of a mistake he made."

Ash nodded, "Got your back Commander."

They crept down a white hallway, indistinguishable from any other they had already gone through. Shepard was leading, with Ash right behind, as the hall they were following dead ended on another. A glance down the right end showed a door and a dead end. She leaned around the corner to the left, and jerked back quickly. Barely ten feet away from the intersection stood a Turian. He leaned back against the wall, looking down yet another hallway in front of him.

Shepard barely leaned out for another look. There was no way they could sneak up on him without being spotted. She looked down and tightened her grip on the Talon; they would have to take him down from a distance. His armour was black and looked well made, no chance there. She smirked, he wasn't wearing a helmet.

_Bingo._

She signaled for Ash to be ready and took one last glance around the corner, gauging the distance and height of her target. She flipped the Talon so that she had it by the blade and took a deep breath, visualizing what she was about to do, praying that he didn't have shields activated. She smiled slightly as she heard her father's voice in her ear, telling her how to throw a ball when she was seven.

"_Pull the ball back to your ear and then when you throw it point your hand where you want it to go."_

_A younger Shepard smiled and nodded enthusiastically. She did as her father had instructed and threw the ball as hard as she could. It didn't go very far, but she looked up at her father with a big smile._

"_Like that Daddy?"_

_He smiled and gave her a high five, "Just like that, my girl, just like that."_

_Gunshots, smoke, her dad yelling._

Shepard shook her head slightly, ignoring Ash's questioning look. She sighed, every memory led to reliving the attack. She took a steadying breath and focused on the task at hand.

She pulled the knife back and stepped around the corner. The guard turned right as she let the knife fly. It spun end over end before it embedded in the Turian's eye, killing him instantly. He fell to the ground with a dull _thud_, the rifle still clutched in his hands.

They waited a moment to make sure he was dead before they walked over to the body. Shepard pried the assault rifle loose and handed it to Ash, taking the pistol holstered at its side for herself. Ashley leaned over the Turian and pulled the knife free with a sickening squelch and wiped it as best as she could on its armour.

She handed the knife back to crouching Shepard, "Where did you learn to do that Skipper?"

Taking the offered blade, the Commander shrugged, not looking at Ash, "My dad taught me to throw a ball the right way when I was younger, same basic rules apply to throwing other things."

The Chief crouched down, a hand on Shepard's shoulder, "You really miss them."

It wasn't a question, but she nodded anyway, "Everyday. It's not something you can just get over; it will always hurt." Looking into Ash's understanding eyes she offered a weak smile, "We have a Batarian to kill."

Ashley pulled the Commander up with her and into a brief, tight hug. Just for a few moments to show that she was there for her. Then she pulled back and was all business again, tucking her Talon into the waistband of her shorts and checking her newly acquired rifle.

Shepard was peering down the next hall when Ash spoke, "Uhh Skipper? You're not going to believe this."

"What is it Chief?" She asked without turning.

"The ammo block is made of rubber."

The Commander turned and, sure enough, the block Ash was holding up was solid black rubber, checking her pistol she found the same thing. Their eyes locked, the same thought going through their minds, _He wants us alive._

Both blocks slammed back home with conviction, the meaning clear. They would win the game, or **die** trying.

Bullets whizzed by as Shepard ducked back around the corner. They had been traveling through the never-ending maze of hall for over an hour when they suddenly reached an intersection just as a patrol of four Batarians did. Ash shoved her out of the line of fire and leaped back the way they came to take cover. They had managed to knock out two of them; which left them in their present situation.

Glancing across she saw Ash letting her rifle cool down. Waving to get her attention she held up one finger.

Ash nodded.

Two.

They both gripped their guns firmly.

Three.

Popping around the corner they opened fire, surprised to find that their enemies had crept closer. One went down within a few seconds; then Ashley got hit.

The round hit on the inside of her right knee, jerking her leg from under her and pitching her out, head first, into the remaining Batarian's sight. The Chief used her rifle as a shield while Shepard fired until her pistol overheated. When he still hadn't gone down she threw the gun at him, knocking him onto his back. Not wasting a second the Commander jumped to her feet and, crossing the distance in three big steps, kicked the gun from his hands, planting her knife in his throat.

"Son of a bitch!"

Shepard turned back to see Ash laid out on the floor, head thrown back in pain, and her hands, clenched into fists, being pounded on the floor. She hurried over and stilled her hands, using them to pull Ash into a sitting position. She breathed heavily as Shepard examined her knee.

The entire inside of the knee was turning a dark purple and starting to swell, but what worried her most was the kneecap was dislocated to one side.

"Do it Commander."

Looking up, her eyes locked on Ash's chocolate brown. Nodding, she shifted to get a better grip on the knee. Ashley gripped one shoulder tightly, the other hand gripping her other leg, and took deep breaths. On her second inhale Shepard jerked her knee, the joint going back with a loud _Pop! _A muffled scream was the only sound from Ash's mouth, followed by ragged breathing as she leaned heavily into Shepard.

She leaned back a few minutes later, her breathing back under control. A tired smirk crossed her face, "Skipper?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'll take that vacation time now."

Shepard couldn't help the laugh that fell from her mouth, Ash soon joining in. When they had calmed again, Shepard threw the Chief's arm over her shoulder and pulled her up onto her good leg. They hobbled down the hallway, picking up Shepard's discarded pistol and pulling another off of one of the Batarian's body for Ash. The Commander could feel that they were getting close; she didn't know how, but she could tell. Picking up the pace slightly, she half-carried her Gunnery Chief down the hall.

A few seconds later, "Skipper, I was serious."

She just shook her head, "I'll see what I can do."

**Please review and let me know what ya'll think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: To say that I had to drag myself through the first part of this chapter is an understatement, but I got through it. About halfway through this one I was ready to give up when a wise friend told me to not be a perfectionist and just let it flow… I tried.**

**A certain reader left a review that reminded me that yes; I want to know if they get the bastard too.**

* * *

They found it.

After wandering through the underground base for hours, and encountering two more patrols, they finally stood before the wooden door. Shepard tightened her arm around Ash's waist and waited for her nod to show she was ready. Taking a deep breath, her hand closed around the knob and, with a quick twist, she threw it open.

The room was empty.

Breathing a sigh of relief they hobbled through the door, Shepard kicking it shut behind them. Setting the Chief down gently in the hard backed chair, Shepard turned to look at the massive desk. All of their armor and weapons were spread out across the desk and, after a quick check, were deemed to be in working condition. Sparing a quick glance towards one of the bookshelves that was slung forward to reveal a lighted passage, she dug through a pocket on her armor, pulling out a pack of medi-gel, and quickly kneeled next to Ash to gently apply the medicine.

The Gunnery Chief hissed in pain and gripped the seat of the chair as the Commander rubbed the medi-gel in, but soon relaxed as the soothing affects started to take hold. When the numbing effects had completely taken over she bent it experimentally a few times; it felt really stiff and sore but, otherwise, back to normal. When she stood up and shifted her weight onto it, it immediately gave way and dumped her back onto the chair.

Cursing under her breath, she waited a few moments before climbing to her feet once again, being mindful of putting too much weight on the injured leg. She took a careful step, then another, and another. Satisfied, and feeling the pain return as the effects of the medi-gel started to wear off, she returned to the chair.

She looked up to say something to Shepard, but hesitated when she saw her furiously putting on her Colossus armour.

"Commander?"

Receiving no response, Ash tried again.

"Skipper?"

Shepard continued to ignore her and snapped the last piece of her armor in place with shaking hands. With that finished, she reached for her guns and started jamming them into their proper places.

Ash climbed to her feet and hobbled over to her Commander, "Shepard?"

The Commander collapsed her pistol into its holster and was reaching for her helmet when Ash's hand gripped hers. She pulled at her hand to try and free it, but Ash just grabbed the other one as well and refused to let go. With a frustrated exhale Shepard finally spoke, "Let go Chief."

Leaning forward, she tried to catch the Commander's gaze, but her eyes kept sliding away from hers. She squeezed Shepard's hands lightly before sliding them up to grip her forearms, "Look at me Shepard…"

"Chief, let go of me."

"No, not until you look at me!"

Shepard stiffened at the refusal, but slowly brought her eyes up to meet Ash's. In the Commander's eyes was something Ash had only seen a few times before and was such a stark contrast to the playful look she was used to when they were relaxing and the steady focus from the battlefield. Rage burned in her eyes alongside a once deeply buried and seething hatred. The Chief almost took a step back at the sheer force of her gaze, but something stopped her. Beneath all of the rage and hate was a deep pain and sadness that made a lump rise in her throat.

"Oh Jane…" she exhaled as she pulled the Commander into a tight hug. Shepard resisted the embrace and tried to push her away, wanting to hold on to the dark emotions that were fueling her, but, slowly, relaxed into Ash's arms. Her right arm curled around the small of Ashley's back while her other hand glided up so her hand rested on the back of her neck. Tears pooled in Jane's eyes as her head rested on the Gunnery Chief's shoulder, pride and sheer force of will the only thing keeping the tears from falling.

They stayed like that, unmoving, for several moments until Shepard broke the silence, her voice just above a whisper, "I'm going to make sure he pays for what he's done."

"I know you will, Skipper."

"Ash, I…" Her arms tightened for a moment before loosening and settling on the Ash's hips as she stepped back, looking straight into brown eyes, "Ash, I want you to stay here."

The Chief was shocked and speechless for a moment before words started pouring out and she started pacing back and forth slowly with a prevalent limp, "I'm not going to just stand on the sidelines while you're off being the big hero! Shepard, I won't let you do this alone!" She took a breath, her pacing coming to a stop, face downturned, and continued in a quiet, sad voice, "I promised to always have your back, and I'm not going back on that promise now."

"Ash, please try to understand, with your knee..."

"Understand what Shepard?" Ash yelled, turning her back on the Commander, "That you are leaving me behind so that you go get the bad guy while your girlfriend waits for you to come save her like some princess in a fairy tale? I'm a Marine, Commander, not some damsel in distress that can't protect herself!"

Jane cut in before Ash could continue, "I don't want him to use you against me!"

Ash turned slightly, "What?"

Shepard sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, "On Mindoir he knew I was hiding in the tree. He knew and used my parents' murder to make me come down. That's how they killed a lot of the kids. They're parents would hide them, but the Batarians would start executing them to make the kids come out of hiding to try and stop it."

Shepard sighed, "And it worked."

Turning fully back around, Ash rubbed her temples before looking back up into blue eyes, "I don't like it."

Jane nodded, "I know, but this is something I have to do for my parents, my friends, and everyone who was on Mindoir."

"I don't like it," Ashley repeated, "but I understand."

Walking forward, Ash cupped the sides of Shepard's face with both hands and pulled her into a soft, emotion filled kiss, a single tear escaping her eye. Breaking apart, she wrapped her arms around the Commander's neck and pulled her in close to whisper in her ear, "Come back to me Skipper."

"I promise."

Pulling away, Ash nodded and quickly wiped the stray tear away as she picked up Shepard's helmet from the table with one hand, the other lightly tracing the scratch marks left from the Battle of the Citadel. Holding out the helmet with both hands, she locked eyes with Shepard, "Go get the bastard."

Shepard simply pulled the helmet on and turned to enter the once hidden passageway. Just before she disappeared inside, Ash called out to her. Turning back, she saw the Chief snap to attention and give a sharp salute. Smiling slightly, Jane returned the salute and they both held it for a few breaths before snapping down at the same time.

Without looking back, Commander Shepard entered the passageway and disappeared.

***Time Break***

Ash paced restlessly around the room, unable to remain still for any length of time. She stopped to stare at the door uneasily for a moment before jamming the chair underneath the door knob, effectively blocking it from opening.

_Just in case_, she thought.

Pulling herself up to sit on the desk, she cursed her luck, her bruised and swollen knee, and was about to start cursing various other things when she heard voices from the other side of the door.

"Is this the boss's office?" One voice asked.

"Yes," another answered, "they're weapons should be in there."

"Spectre weapons? What say we 'liberate' us some new gear?" Yet another voice said.

Ash's eyes widened as the door knob jiggled, but the door didn't move.

The first voice spoke again, "It won't open!"

"One of them must be in there! Boss said one got hurt!" The third added helpfully.

_Shit! Shit! Shit!_ Ash thought as there was a moment of silence before the second, apparently the leader, spoke again.

"Break it down."

One word escaped the Gunnery Chief as the blows began to rain down on the door and she jumped to her feet:

"Fuck!"

* * *

**There will be one more chapter and this story will be complete… Finally.**

**My deepest apologies for taking so long with this chapter, and my deepest thanks for those who have stuck with it, left reviews, favorites, and alerts.**

**Ya'll guys rock!**

**Reviews make me write faster, it may not have seemed like it but it truly does.**

**It is now two in the morning and I am going to bed.**

**Let me know what ya'll think!**


	6. An End, Once and For All

**For those who have already read this before I reposted this chapter, there are a few differences like fixing a some grammar mistakes, overhauling how it ended, and expanding on some things here and there.**

* * *

As Shepard stepped into the tunnel, lights in the ceiling flared to life as she passed then faded back to darkness behind her. The tunnel twisted and turned a few times as it steadily rose to what Shepard could only guess was the surface of the planet. After rounding one final turn there stood the entrance to an airlock.

Examining the controls for a minute, she pressed a few keys and held her rifle at the ready as the door slid open with a hiss as the air from the tunnel rushed past to fill the small chamber. With the chamber cleared, the Commander stepped inside the airlock, the door sealing shut behind her. The button to activate the airlock glowed red to her right and, with one last deep breath, she sealed her helmet and pressed the button.

The equalizing of pressure took but seconds, then the door ahead of her slid open, revealing a small ramp and the setting sun. Cautiously, she stepped onto the ramp in a half-crouch and peaked over the wall. It looked like she was in the center of the ruins, the buildings forming a maze around her. A small flash of light caught her eye and she immediately jerked her head down, a bullet whizzing through where it had been moments ago.

A loud chuckle crackled through her suits radio, "That was almost too easy Shepard, getting tired?"

She gritted her teeth, "I'm just getting warmed up."

Spying an open door way ahead of her, she sprinted up the ramp, across a small open area, and threw herself through the door way. Using her momentum she rolled to her feet, rifle at the ready. With the room cleared, she made her way through the building and peered around the doorway facing a long row of more buildings. After a quick visual scan to check for danger, she dashed across the open road and into another building.

"And where is Ms. Williams, Commander?"

Jane rolled her eyes and ignored the voice as she travelled closer and closer to where she thought the shot had originated, thoughts of how she was going to exact revenge running through her head.

The Batarian chuckled again, "It's rude to ignore people Commander, or did I kill your parents too early for you to learn that?"

Shepard stopped momentarily, her knuckles white on the rifle as she resisted the urge to answer him. _Don't let him get to you. Stay focused._

Instead, she switched channels on her radio and sent out a call, "Normandy this is Shepard, do you read me? Shepard to Normandy, do you read me? Come on Joker answer me!"

She waited a moment, hoping to get a response.

None came.

"Dammit!" She cursed.

"They can't hear you Commander. This place is shielded from any radio frequencies going in or out. You are all alone Shepard, no parents to hide you and no friends to back you up."

Shepard growled into her mic, "You just wait until I find you, you sick bastard!"

His answering laughter seemed to ring in her ears, "I'm waiting."

The Commander moved faster now, but still remained ever aware of her surroundings and she drew closer to one of the few two story buildings. Less than a block away, she stopped and wondered how she was going to go about this. Twenty yards of open area surrounded the building on all sides with only one doorway leading in or out. Just rushing for the door would get her killed in seconds with any half decent sniper, let alone the Batarian.

After a moment of thought she nodded to herself, she had her plan.

Working her way from cover to cover until she was on the opposite side of the building from the door, she quickly checked for danger before she sprinted out and slammed her back to the wall, watching for any movement. Sticking close to the wall, she quickly worked her way around until she was next to the doorway.

Trading her bulky rifle for the pistol, she took a deep breath before rounding the corner and going in, gun at the ready. She stepped into a small room with only the doorway she passed through and one on the far side. Taking up position next to the other doorway, she paused as his voice came over the radio again.

"Some of my men just told me they found Ms. Williams barricaded in my office. She put up a good fight, but was quickly overwhelmed."

Jane shook her head in denial, not realizing she was speaking out loud, "He's lying. He's lying, he's lying, he's lying."

She could practically hear the grin in his voice, "I'm afraid not Commander. If it's any consolation, she was utterly convinced you were going to swoop in and save her… even as the life was being strangled out of her."

He paused for a moment as though contemplating something, "I'm sure her body would catch a handsome price with the right people."

Blinded by rage, the Commander rushed into the next room and straight into next until finding a staircase that led to the upper level. She was halfway across the room when she was struck hard from behind. As she hit the ground, her pistol skittering away, and rolled over, a single thought ran through her mind as she stared down the barrel of a gun.

_The Turian._

* * *

Ash scrambled to put on her armor as the splintering of wood could be heard as the door began to give away. Running out of time, she managed to snap on the chest plate and shoved on her helmet as she vaulted over the desk, dragging the rest of her armor and her weapons with her. Holding a grenade aloft, she waited for the door to break. After what felt like hours, but could have only been a few seconds, the door broke loose and she let the grenade fly, ducking into a tight ball behind the desk.

_I hope this desk is thick,_ was her only thought as the incendiary grenade exploded.

The force of the explosion sent all three men flying back, or what was left of them. Ash waited to hear any kind of movement while quickly checking herself for any injuries. Finding none, she reached out and dragged her rifle to her. Ears still ringing from the explosion, she popped up behind the desk, rifle at the ready as she stepped around the desk. Seeing all three men definitely dead, she couldn't help a small cheer.

"Hoorah! Don't mess with a Marine!"

Turning back, she saw that the front of the desk was scorched black and still on fire in some places. As she stepped closer, the shrapnel imbedded in the wood became visible. Idly wondering how it was still standing, she tapped the desk with her foot and had to jump back as it collapsed heavily.

"Damn, glad I didn't hide under it."

Shaking her head, she gathered the missing pieces of her armor and snapped them into place, struggling slightly with her still swollen knee. Once all of the armor was in place, she picked up the rest of the weapons and turned toward the secret passage. She was limping badly, but she was mobile.

She was at the entrance when she heard something. Turning back, she followed the noise until she was standing before one of the mangled bodies. Looking closer she sees that his radio is still operable and can clearly make out the words.

"Do you hear me? Did you capture Ms. Williams?"

With an evil grin, she pulled the radio free and raised it to her lips, "Ready or not, here I come."

Not waiting for a reply, she threw the radio aside and headed through the passage as quickly as she could.

* * *

Lashing out, Shepard knocked the pistol aside, bullets impacting inches from her head, and kicked the Turian's feet from under him. Instantly, she was on him and struggling for the gun, shots going off in random directions. Rearing back with one hand, he struck in the side of the head and rolled them over. Desperately, the Commander worked to keep the gun pointing away from her, but she was slowly losing the fight.

Suddenly, the gun went off and Jane cried out in pain as the bullet ripped through her arm, her shields useless at this range. She could almost see his triumphant grin behind his mask as she let go with one hand. Within seconds he had the muzzle pressed beneath her chin, ready to blow her head off, but the shot never came.

With her free hand, Shepard pulled her knife free from the holster on her leg and jammed it into the Turian's throat and, with a yell, dragged it as far as she could before jerking it free. His hands went instantly to his throat, but it was too late. In seconds he had coated the Commander with his blood and slumped over dead. After a bit of wriggling and shoving, she managed to get out from under him, glad she couldn't smell in her suit, and inspected her arm.

Blood was flowing freely from the rip in the armor of her upper arm, but, thankfully, the seals on her shoulders had kept her suit from depressurizing. Pulling out her last pack of medigel, she squeezed it out onto the wound and let it go to work. As she sat there, the words of the Batarian had time to truly sink in.

She roughly shook her head, telling herself it wasn't, couldn't, be true, but tears ran down her face anyway. She lost all track of time as she sat there silently crying, but when the tears stopped and she looked up, the sun had set. Climbing to her feet, she gave her arm a few experimental swings. It hurt like hell, but could still be used. Looking around she located her pistol and returned it to its holster along with shoving the knife back into a holder on her leg. Pulling her assault rifle, she backtracked through the building and back onto the street.

Looking around, she spied the next two story building and headed that way, conviction and determination in every step.

* * *

When Ash passed through the airlock, the sun had completely set. Much in the same manner as Shepard had earlier, she peeked over the wall, but no bullet came to take her head off, before rushing through the open door way. Once inside she tried to radio Shepard, but cursed when she realized her radio channels had been scrambled. Looking out, she located the nearest two-story building and started moving.

Though she heard no sounds and saw no signs of danger, she was on edge. When she reached the building, she quickly went inside, but froze when she saw booted feet lying on the ground. A feeling of panic rose as she all but ran through the doorway, followed by an immense feeling of relief when she found it wasn't the Commander. She stepped closer, carefully stepping around the massive pool of blue blood, and heading straight for the small pool of red blood. The blood was still wet; Jane had been here not too long ago. She was hurt, but was still moving. Heartened by this thought, she turned towards the stairs and began the slow, painful process of climbing them, her knee protesting every step of the way.

Finally she reached the second floor, but didn't stop, and continued on to the roof. Once there, she limped over to the edge facing the other two story buildings and pulled her sniper rifle. Looking through the scope, she saw no movement so she settled in to wait. While keeping an eye on the other rooftops and windows, she started cycling through the radio channels, hoping to find Shepard's.

Only a few minutes had passed when multiple shots rang out. Intently, the Chief searched for any sign of Shepard, and she wasn't disappointed. Ashley watched through her scope as a figure ran onto the roof ahead of her, followed closely by another, the N7 symbol seeming to glow on the person's chest. The first person, the Batarian Ash assumed, froze when Shepard raised her pistol, their voices crackling over the radio as she finally found the right channel.

"Ok Commander, you win. You can take me in now. The courts will give me what I deserve."

Shepard laughed darkly, her voice slightly hoarse, "You are going to get what you deserve alright."

The Commander fired.

"But not from a court."

* * *

"Come out and face me Batarian!" Shepard cried out over the radio as she boldly walked down the center of a street leading straight towards her next targeted building.

"And why would I want to do that Shepard?"

"You hide in the shadows and send your goons to do your dirty work," she snarled. "You are a coward! You are afraid to face me directly because you know I will win!"

"I fear nothing, least of all you!"

"Then prove it. Face me now, no weapons. Just you and me."

She could almost hear the wheels turning in the Batarians head before he answered, "Put your weapons on the ground, and I will show myself."

Checking that her shields were at max charge, she complied and waited. Though she looked at ease on the outside, inside she was like a tightly coiled spring, waiting to be released. Part of her expected him to try and take her out now, but the rest of her knew his pride was too strong to leave her challenge unanswered.

True to his word, he stepped from one of the building off to her right minutes later. He walked until he stood but a few yards from her and reached for his pistol. Immediately Shepard fell into a defensive stance, but he only set it on the ground at his feet. She did not relax until all his weapons lay on the ground and he stepped away from them.

No words were spoken as they circled each other, each circuit bringing them closer to each other.

The Batarian made the first move, striking out with a fist, but Shepard was ready. Blocking with her left, she followed with a hard uppercut to his chin, sending him stumbling back. He shook his head slightly and the circling began again.

Twice more they engaged, Shepard landing another blow to the head and receiving a solid one to the side.

Tired of this game, the Commander rushed forward with a roar and took the fight to the ground as she rained blow after furious blow down upon him. The Batarian struggled to protect his head, waiting for an opening. When the first opportunity came he struck Shepard a hard blow to the throat, momentarily stopping her assault as she coughed and choked.

Planting a boot in her chest he kicked her off and scrambled to his feet, heading straight for his weapons. His hand had just touched his rifle when a shot rang out and the round tore through his outstretched hand. A quick glance over his shoulder showed the Commander advancing, pistol in one hand while the other rubbed her sore throat.

Forsaking his other weapons, the Batarian fled with Shepard hot on his heels. He ran mindlessly, waiting for the shot that would end his life, but it never came. Instead, shots impacted on either side of him, guiding him towards his sniper perch.

Desperately, he called out for help across his private channel, a little of his confidence returning when he was quickly answered and reinforcements were on the way. He emerged onto the roof and turned to face the Commander with nowhere else to go.

He raised his hands in surrender, "Ok Commander, you win. You can take me in now. The courts will give me what I deserve."

Shepard laughed darkly as she took aim, her voice slightly hoarse, "You are going to get what you deserve alright."

The Commander fired.

"But not from a court."

The Batarian screeched in pain as the bullet shattered one knee and no sooner had he hit the ground when another shot destroyed the other. He sobbed in pain as the Commander advanced, holstering her pistol and pulling the blood stained knife from its sheath. She kneeled in front of him and stared into his eyes as she spoke in a cold voice.

"I've heard that the worst way to die is by asphyxiation, or suffocating. It's slow, and extremely painful."

Her eyes narrowed menacingly, "This is for Ash you son of a bitch!"

His eyes widened as she wrapped her hand around his air tube and brought up the knife. Forgetting all of his pride, he started to beg. He begged for her to just shoot him, and when she started to saw through the line, ignoring his pleas, he began to cry.

A low hiss sounded as the line was severed and he started to choke and cough, struggling to breathe air that could not save him.

Jane watched with an expressionless face as he struggled and fought against the inevitable, the sound of his slowing heart beat the last thing he would ever hear as his sight began to blacken.

When he finally stopped moving Shepard shook her head as she stood, "I told you I would make you beg for me to kill you."

"Don't move Shepard! Drop the knife!"

She sighed as she tossed the knife aside and slowly turned around. Two Batarians stood with weapons raised and tried to look past her at their boss.

"He's dead."

Their attention jerked back to her, fingers tightening on triggers when the one closest to Shepard suddenly went down. The other had only a moment to wonder what was going on before he went down as well.

"Bag 'em and tag 'em Commander."

Jane watched in disbelief as Ash raised her sniper rifle triumphantly overhead, "A-Ash?"

"Alive and kicking. Well maybe not kicking too well, but definitely alive…"

Shepard shook her head, fighting back tears, and turned towards the staircase, "Stay put, I'm coming over."

"Oooh," Ash laughed, "rather forward aren't we?"

The Commander didn't reply as she ran, picking up the rest of her abandoned weapons on the way. She burst onto the rooftop, out of breath, and immediately enveloped Ashley in a crushing hug which she returned completely.

"It's over Jane, it's all over."

Jane nodded into the Chief's shoulder, but didn't loosen her grip on the other woman.

"You ok?"

Shepard took a shaky breath and finally pulled back, staring into Ash's eyes, "He said you were dead... That they found you and you were sure I was going to save you, but I wasn't there."

Ashley gripped both of Jane's hands in hers, "I'm right here Skipper, and I'm not going anywhere."

Jane looked at their joined hands and nodded shakily before looking back into her lover's eyes, "I know."

* * *

They slowly made their way away from the ruins with the Commander helping support the Chief as they walked.

"Commander?"

Shepard looked over at Ash, "What?"

"About that vacation..."

Jane shook her head with a chuckle, before getting a thoughtful look, "A couple of weeks to rest would be nice; I hear Amaterasu is nice this time of year."

Ashley smiled, "It's beautiful."

"Know anyone we could stay with?"

"A few, but can you handle that many Williams?"

Shepard laughed, "I think I will manage, can't be much worse that a homicidal Batarian right?"

Ash grinned, "Oh I don't know, the Williams family firing squad is feared by boyfriends and girlfriends across the galaxy."

Jane smirked, "If it gets too bad I could just start telling them about the time we got caught by Garrus and Tali in the Mako…"

Ash's eyes widened, but she had no chance to reply as a new voice crackled over the radio, "Commander is that you? Man, am I glad to hear your voice."

"It's me Joker, lock onto our signal and get us off this damn planet."

"Right away Commander, ETA two minutes. About time you both showed back up, Liara has been driving herself and the rest of the crew insane."

"Just come get us Joker, I want to start my vacation already."

Joker laughed as he touched the Normandy down a small distance from them, "Touchy much Chief? The vacation might have to wait, Hackett called with new orders. Apparently entire ships are disappearing without a trace and they suspect it's remnants of the Geth."

Shepard sighed, "And they want us to investigate and wipe them out, correct?"

"100% Commander."

Ashley shook her head as they started the climb up the ramp, Chakwas and her medical team coming to meet them, "It just never ends does it Commander?"

Jane nodded in agreement as the Normandy lifted off again, "No it doesn't."

As they loaded the Chief onto a stretcher and wheeled her into the elevator, Shepard came to a decision.

"Joker?"

"Yeah Commander?"

"Send my apologies to Admiral Hackett, but as of right now we are officially on leave by Spectre authority."

She could almost hear the smile in the pilot's voice, "He is definitely not gonna like that Shepard."

Jane just smiled towards Ash, receiving one in return, as they finally took off their helmets while the elevator ever so slowly made its way to the upper deck, "Send the message and set a course for Amaterasu."

"Aye, aye."

* * *

**Three years and a whole lot of personal angst later, it's finally finished.**

**The way I ended it has bothered me since they day I published it; I had originally envisioned this ending when I started this story, but changed my mind for some reason. It just didn't fit so I have returned to my original idea.**

**Any mistakes made were because I don't have a beta and I am sick of rereading this chapter.**

**Let me know how I did and what ya'll think!**


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